After beating the Boston Bruins 4-3 on Wednesday, the Ducks are right back at it on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators on Hockey Fights Cancer Night. A win against the Senators would give the Ducks a three-game win streak.

“Winning at home is important,” Ryan Strome said after their win against the Bruins. “We’ve got a great record here. Our fans have come out really strong this year and supported us. 
You could just tell by the enthusiasm. It’s so great to see, and they're so excited for us.

“Ottawa’s a hungry team right now and they're going to be well-rested, waiting for us, so we've got to be ready to go. 
It’s going to be another tough game, so try to get some rest here and get ready to go. crack some things. All in all, finding ways to win, especially on home ice, is so key. Trying to carry that (into) tomorrow is huge.”

Takeaways from the Ducks' 4-3 Win over the BruinsDucks defeat Bruins with clutch play and timely adjustments. Dostal's stellar goaltending paves the way for crucial offensive chances.

Petr Mrázek is expected to start for Anaheim after Lukáš Dostál started and made 36 saves against the Bruins. Any lineup changes for Anaheim won’t be known until warmups due to no morning skate, but defenseman Pavel Mintyukov will likely be a healthy scratch for the third consecutive game.

Late Wednesday night, a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman revealed that Mintyukov would prefer to be traded if he continues to be scratched.

The Senators will be without Thomas Chabot, Olle Lycksell, Ridly Greig and captain Brady Tkachuk. Chabot, Lycksell and Tkachuk are all on injured reserve while Greig is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

Ducks forward Chris Kreider will play in his 900th game, his 17th with the Ducks after spending the previous 13 seasons with the New York Rangers. Kreider has added a much-needed netfront presence to the Ducks after coming over from the Rangers as an offseason acquisition this past June. He helped create the game-tying goal on Monday against the Utah Mammoth and the game-winning goal on Wednesday against the Bruins.

Ducks Projected Lines

Chris Kreider- Leo Carlsson - Troy Terry
Cutter Gauthier - Mason McTavish - Beckett Sennecke
Frank Vatrano - Ryan Strome - Alex Killorn
Ross Johnston - Jansen Harkins - Nikita Nesterenko

Jackson LaCombe - Drew Helleson
Olen Zellweger - Jacob Trouba
Ian Moore - Radko Gudas

Petr Mrázek (projected)

Senators Projected Lines

David Perron - Tim Stützle - Drake Batherson
Lars Eller - Dylan Cozens - Fabian Zetterlund
Michael Amadio - Shane Pinto - Claude Giroux
Nick Cousins - Stephen Halliday - Hayden Hodgson

Jake Sanderson - Artem Zub
Tyler Kleven - Jordan Spence
Nikolas Matinpalo - Nick Jensen

Linus Ullmark (confirmed)

The Pittsburgh Penguins made multiple moves this off-season. Among the most notable was them acquiring goaltender Arturs Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks.

The decision to bring in Silovs is already looking like a very good one by the Penguins, as the young goaltender has played excellently for the Metropolitan Division club so far. In 10 games so far this season, he has posted a 4-2-4 record, a .918 save percentage, and a 2.44 goals-against average. He also recorded his first career NHL shutout in his Penguins debut on Oct. 7, stopping all 25 New York Rangers shots he faced. 

Now, Silovs' strong start to the season has gotten him some big-time praise.

Silovs was ranked as the sixth-best rookie in the NHL in The Athletic's latest Calder Trophy rankings. With this, he ranked ahead of other promising rookies like Yaroslav Askarov (San Jose Sharks), Zeev Buium (Minnesota Wild), and Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis Blues).

Given how well Silovs has started the season, it is understandable that he is being viewed as one of the top rookies in the NHL right now. It will be interesting to see how he performs as this season rolls on from here. 

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Having just recorded a new career-high in points last season, Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond is beginning to heat up once again. 

Raymond is currently riding a five-game point streak coming into Thursday evening's tilt against the New York Islanders, having tallied twice while adding eight assists during that span. Among his points was scoring the game-winning goal against the New York Rangers on Nov. 16 late in the third period as part of Detroit's 2-1 win. 

Right now, he's on track to reach 90 points, which would be a new career-best. And he's doing it while having already missed two games because of an upper-body injury. 

The good news for the Red Wings is that Raymond is feeling good - and that's bad news for the rest of the NHL. 

"I feel good, physically just coming back from an injury, it's always a little slow in the beginning, but I feel good," Raymond said following practice on Thursday morning. "I think the team has been playing some really good hockey games as well lately, so that helps.

"I feel good, it's a long season and you're always going to be battling something. Very rarely do you feel a hundred percent, so I feel good. There's nothing that's bothering me."

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

It wasn't long ago that Raymond was a fresh-faced rookie himself during the 2021-22 NHL campaign, having to navigate through the rigors of not only playing in the top league in the world but also living on a new continent on the opposite side of the globe.

Playing in his fifth NHL season, Raymond is happy to see the progression of new rookies on the club like Nate Danielson, Emmitt Finnie, and Axel Sandin-Pellikka. 

"First, it's a lot of fun, I think everything is new," Raymond said while looking back at his rookie season. "A lot of new impressions, every arena that's new and you play for the first time in against a bunch of players you watched growing up, there's a lot of excitement, and I think you want to enjoy as much as possible." 

Rising Rookies: Emmitt Finnie Snaps Drought Playing With Nate Danielson Detroit Red Wings rookie forward Emmitt Finnie was happy to end his scoring drought on Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken, his first goal since Oct. 25 against the Blues.

Naturally, there's going to be a learning curve for even the most highly-touted young professionals.

"At the same time, it can be tough," Raymond said of the introduction to life in the NHL. "You want to play well and have a good impact. But a lot of fun and something I'll take with me." 

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Flyers turn it on to overcome another deficit, beat Blues in overtime originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Rick Tocchet said he was going to be “shocked” if the Flyers didn’t play a good game Thursday night.

His team was coming off a four-day break, a stretch that included plenty of practice time and video sessions to address what the head coach felt were some concerning trends.

While the Flyers fell into another 2-0 hole, Tocchet had to be happy with his club’s resolve. The Flyers rallied for a 3-2 overtime win over the Blues at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

“I don’t know if it was that bad of a start,” Tocchet said. “I know the optics, you make a bad pass or something, that’s when it looks bad. But overall, I didn’t think it was that bad.”

Travis Sanheim delivered the game-winner for the Flyers (10-6-3), who bounced backed from their most lopsided loss of the season.

“Not the start you wanted,” Sanheim said. “In saying that, you have the four days off, it takes a little bit to get your mind and your legs back into it. Then I thought we started to find our game toward the second half of the game.”

Rodrigo Abols and Tyson Foerster scored the other goals to fuel the Flyers’ comeback.

Tocchet’s club has gone to overtime nine times and improved to 6-3-3 in games decided by one goal.

“Another resilient win for us,” Nick Seeler. “Just need to build on it and continue to work at those first-period starts.”

The Flyers swept the two-game regular-season series from the Blues (6-9-6). They picked up a 6-5 shootout win in St. Louis six days ago.

• For the third time in the last five games, the Flyers fell down 2-0.

They’ve been outscored 9-1 in the first period over the last six games.

Justin Faulk scored both of the Blues’ first-period markers. The first came on a blast from deep just 5:31 minutes into the game. The second came on a St. Louis power play after Trevor Zegras was whistled for hooking.

Dan Vladar kept the Flyers in it with some key saves. He stopped 27 of 29 shots and was very good down the stretch.

“From my side, I wasn’t happy with the start,” Vladar said. “Just felt a little bit off, but as the game went on, I started to feel a little bit better. I think since the get-go, we played a pretty good game.

“Obviously when you’re down 2-0, you basically have nothing to lose. You’re going to keep getting scored on or you’re going to do what we did, so I’m really proud of the guys in front of me.”

Emil Andrae had a clutch defensive play at Vladar’s doorstep with three minutes left in regulation to keep the game tied 2-2.

“I probably owe him some steak, for sure,” Vladar said.

The 23-year-old Andrae continued to pick up more minutes and also had an assist.

“You can really tell that he really wants to be here,” Vladar said.

Blues backup Joel Hofer denied 25 of the Flyers’ 28 shots. With some help from his post, Hofer robbed Zegras on a third-period power play for the Flyers.

But Foerster ended up providing the equalizer about three and a half minutes later.

• It was appropriate that Abols got the Flyers on the board with 2:03 minutes left in the second period.

The 29-year-old center was playing an active and energetic game with the team in desperate need of a spark.

“On the scoreboard, I think it was a slow start,” Abols said. “Obviously 2-0, it’s not what we want, but game-wise, I think it wasn’t that bad. Just stick with it. There’s a ton of belief in this room.”

Zegras and Owen Tippett assisted Abols’ goal. Travis Konecny had two helpers on the night.

• In non-contact fashion, Oliver Bonk joined the big club this week for practice and Thursday’s morning skate.

The 20-year-old prospect hasn’t played this season because of a lingering upper-body injury. He missed all of training camp and the preseason after participating in just a few days of rookie camp.

Last month, general manager Danny Briere didn’t have a firm timeline for Bonk’s return. But it’s a good sign that the defenseman has been able to go through consecutive skates with the team.

When Bonk is cleared, he’ll head to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

Rasmus Ristolainen was seen wrapping up a rehab skate Monday morning.

Briere on Oct. 27 considered Ristolainen four to six weeks away from potentially rejoining the team.

The 31-year-old defenseman hasn’t played this season. He has been recovering from surgery on a second triceps tendon rupture.

• The Flyers are back in action Saturday when they host the Devils (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

Flyers turn it on to overcome another deficit, beat Blues in overtime originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Rick Tocchet said he was going to be “shocked” if the Flyers didn’t play a good game Thursday night.

His team was coming off a four-day break, a stretch that included plenty of practice time and video sessions to address what the head coach felt were some concerning trends.

While the Flyers fell into another 2-0 hole, Tocchet had to be happy with his club’s resolve. The Flyers rallied for a 3-2 overtime win over the Blues at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

“I don’t know if it was that bad of a start,” Tocchet said. “I know the optics, you make a bad pass or something, that’s when it looks bad. But overall, I didn’t think it was that bad.”

Travis Sanheim delivered the game-winner for the Flyers (10-6-3), who bounced backed from their most lopsided loss of the season.

“Not the start you wanted,” Sanheim said. “In saying that, you have the four days off, it takes a little bit to get your mind and your legs back into it. Then I thought we started to find our game toward the second half of the game.”

Rodrigo Abols and Tyson Foerster scored the other goals to fuel the Flyers’ comeback.

Tocchet’s club has gone to overtime nine times and improved to 6-3-3 in games decided by one goal.

“Another resilient win for us,” Nick Seeler. “Just need to build on it and continue to work at those first-period starts.”

The Flyers swept the two-game regular-season series from the Blues (6-9-6). They picked up a 6-5 shootout win in St. Louis six days ago.

• For the third time in the last five games, the Flyers fell down 2-0.

They’ve been outscored 9-1 in the first period over the last six games.

Justin Faulk scored both of the Blues’ first-period markers. The first came on a blast from deep just 5:31 minutes into the game. The second came on a St. Louis power play after Trevor Zegras was whistled for hooking.

Dan Vladar kept the Flyers in it with some key saves. He stopped 27 of 29 shots and was very good down the stretch.

“From my side, I wasn’t happy with the start,” Vladar said. “Just felt a little bit off, but as the game went on, I started to feel a little bit better. I think since the get-go, we played a pretty good game.

“Obviously when you’re down 2-0, you basically have nothing to lose. You’re going to keep getting scored on or you’re going to do what we did, so I’m really proud of the guys in front of me.”

Emil Andrae had a clutch defensive play at Vladar’s doorstep with three minutes left in regulation to keep the game tied 2-2.

“I probably owe him some steak, for sure,” Vladar said.

The 23-year-old Andrae continued to pick up more minutes and also had an assist.

“You can really tell that he really wants to be here,” Vladar said.

Blues backup Joel Hofer denied 25 of the Flyers’ 28 shots. With some help from his post, Hofer robbed Zegras on a third-period power play for the Flyers.

But Foerster ended up providing the equalizer about three and a half minutes later.

• It was appropriate that Abols got the Flyers on the board with 2:03 minutes left in the second period.

The 29-year-old center was playing an active and energetic game with the team in desperate need of a spark.

“On the scoreboard, I think it was a slow start,” Abols said. “Obviously 2-0, it’s not what we want, but game-wise, I think it wasn’t that bad. Just stick with it. There’s a ton of belief in this room.”

Zegras and Owen Tippett assisted Abols’ goal. Travis Konecny had two helpers on the night.

• In non-contact fashion, Oliver Bonk joined the big club this week for practice and Thursday’s morning skate.

The 20-year-old prospect hasn’t played this season because of a lingering upper-body injury. He missed all of training camp and the preseason after participating in just a few days of rookie camp.

Last month, general manager Danny Briere didn’t have a firm timeline for Bonk’s return. But it’s a good sign that the defenseman has been able to go through consecutive skates with the team.

When Bonk is cleared, he’ll head to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

Rasmus Ristolainen was seen wrapping up a rehab skate Monday morning.

Briere on Oct. 27 considered Ristolainen four to six weeks away from potentially rejoining the team.

The 31-year-old defenseman hasn’t played this season. He has been recovering from surgery on a second triceps tendon rupture.

• The Flyers are back in action Saturday when they host the Devils (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

One area that the Philadelphia Flyers would benefit upgrading is the left side of their defense. 

Due to this, let's take a look at two defensemen who are interesting targets for the Flyers to consider pursuing.

Bowen Byram, Buffalo Sabres 

The Sabres have had a shaky start to the 2025-26 season, and they very well could be sellers if they do not turn things around. If the Sabres do end up selling, blueliner Bowen Byram would be a clear player to watch.

Byram was the subject of trade rumors this off-season before signing his two-year, $12.5 million bridge deal with the Sabres. If the 24-year-old becomes available due to Buffalo's struggles, he would undoubtedly provide the Flyers' top four with a nice boost if acquired. In 20 games this season, he has recorded three goals and nine points.

Pavel Mintyukov, Anaheim Ducks 

Pavel Mintyukov is a new name in the rumor mill who should grab the Flyers' attention. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the young defenseman "would like to be moved" if he continues to be scratched. 

With Mintyukov being a 21-year-old former first-round pick with good upside, he is somebody who would make a lot of sense for the Flyers to target. In 18 games so far this season, he has recorded three assists and a plus-1 rating. He also showed offensive potential during his rookie year in 2023-24, scoring four goals and setting career highs with 24 assists and 28 points in 63 games.

On Thursday, the Winnipeg Jets have granted 2022 first-round pick Brad Lambert permission to seek a trade, Daily Faceoff has learned.

League sources say #GoJetsGo have given 2022 first round pick Brad Lambert's representation permission to find a trade partner.

Lambert, 21, has one goal in four games for #nhljets in limited minutes this season.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) November 20, 2025

Insider Frank Seravalli confirmed that Lambert’s camp recently received approval to explore potential landing spots as his path to full-time NHL duty has tightened in recent weeks.

The Jets have welcomed back a wave of injured regulars, which has created a crowded forward group and limited Lambert’s opportunities despite a promising start to the season.

Jets Ink Five-Year, $25 Million Extension With Captain Adam Lowry Captain Adam Lowry commits his future to the Jets, securing a $25 million, five-year extension.

The 21-year-old has appeared in four NHL games this season, scoring one goal while seeing very limited minutes. In total, he has dressed for ten career NHL games over three seasons with one goal and two assists.

Lambert scored his first career goal just two weeks ago in a game versus the Pittsburgh Penguins, however this didn't last long as he was again sent back down to the AHL this past Tuesday.

Once regarded as a potential top-five pick in the draft, Lambert fell to the Jets due to his final junior season. He still has two years left on his entry-level deal. 

While the Jets remain high on his long-term potential, the organization also understands Lambert’s growing frustration with being stuck in the minors. Lambert's camp likely believes he will have a clearer route to NHL minutes with another club.

Lambert has been a consistent performer at the AHL level with the Manitoba Moose, recording 30 goals and 63 assists for 93 points in 141 games. 

The Finnish forward was an important contributor for his home country at the 2022 World Junior Championship, where he helped secure a silver medal. Before reaching the professional ranks, he excelled at the junior level with the Seattle Thunderbirds, producing 38 points in 26 games.

For Winnipeg, this decision does not necessarily indicate a desire to trade Lambert, but it does reflect the reality of his stalled development path. If another team can offer a clearer opportunity and the Jets receive an appropriate return, both sides may see a move as beneficial. 

As for what the return could be is hard to say as Lambert has shown some upside at the NHL level with his production so far but has been very limited. The last thing the Jets organization will want is to trade away a high-end prospect that can easily produce 25-30 points tomorrow with room to go even higher and get left with a lesser return.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Wraparound is back with more NHL and hockey topics in rapid-fire segments.

Who Are Buffalo And Calgary's Top Trade Candidates? by The Wraparound

Here's what Emma Lingan, Michael Augello and Stephen Kerr discussed in this episode:

0:00: Should the Vegas Golden Knights be concerned about their goaltending situation?

4:42: Could Macklin Celebrini receive significant Hart Trophy consideration this season?

8:10: Will Jesper Wallstedt’s rise cause a shake-up in net for the Minnesota Wild?

11:30: Breaking down Adam Lowry’s five-year extension with the Winnipeg Jets

15:10: Could Charlie McAvoy’s absence bring the Boston Bruins down to earth?

18:50: Should the Anaheim Ducks look to trade Pavel Mintyukov?

22:10: Could Alexandre Texier end up terminating his contract with the St. Louis Blues?

25:26: Looking at the top trade candidates for the Buffalo Sabres and the Calgary Flames

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Podbean

iHeartRadio

Amazon

Thursday's slate of NHL action is chalk full of marquee matchups across the league with 12 games for fans to enjoy. One of the most intriguing games on the board features the surging Capitals that have won three of their last five games with close losses to the Florida Panthers and the New Jersey Devils. 

After winning in decisive fashion on Wednesday versus the Edmonton Oilers, Washington will play their second leg of a back-to-back on the road versus the slumping Montreal Canadiens. The Habs started off the season in flying colors with a 9-3-0 record through their first 12 games but have since dropped six of their last seven games. 

A win on Thursday could a long way for both teams and should culminate in a hard fought game in one of the best arenas in all of hockey at the Bell Centre. 

All betting lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly. 

Sign up with BetMGM, make a deposit, and place your first wager on any game using your First Bet Offer token. If that bet with the token applied loses, you’ll get your original stake paid back in Bonus Bets, up to $1,500! Get in the game today with BetMGM.

Maple Leafs Set For High-Scoring Clash Versus Marchenko, Blue JacketsThe Toronto Maple Leafs have won just three of their last nine matchups versus the Columbus Blue Jackets with winger Kirill Marchenko recording points in three of their last four meetings for a total of one goal and three assists.

Montreal Canadiens vs Washington Capitals Best Bets

Over 6.0 Goals (-120)

Habs ML (-139)

Habs First Period Over 0.5 Goals (-189) Parlay Add

Tom Wilson Over 0.5 Points (-149)

Josh Anderson Anytime Goal (+475) Longshot Pick

Nick Suzuki Anytime Goal (+175)

The Habs are clear favorites in this matchup, and for good reason. They are long overdue for a win after their recent slump and have yet to secure a strong home record, splitting their ten home games this season with five victories. However, the Capitals usually perform well against Montreal, winning seven of their last nine games and taking three of the last four trips to Montreal.

Adding to the challenge, Washington will be traveling the day after a tough game against the Oilers, in which they scored seven goals in a 7-4 shootout. This fatigue is likely to be exposed early by a Habs team that is tied for 12th in first-period goals, alongside five other teams, with 18 goals and a +5 first-period goal differential.

Montreal will also benefit from facing the Capitals without their top goaltender, Logan Thompson. Thompson has been outstanding this season but started on Wednesday, leaving backup Charlie Lindgren in net. Lindgren, a former Montreal goaltender signed as an undrafted free agent by Washington, has a 2-3-1 record and a 3.17 goals-against average (GAA) this season.

Montreal’s starter, Sam Montembeault, has struggled this season, holding a 4-5-1 record and a 3.56 GAA. His career numbers against Washington are also underwhelming, with a 2-3-0 record, a 3.49 GAA, and a .893 save percentage over six appearances. Public opinion is fairly divided on this game, with 56 percent favoring a Habs win at home, while nearly 80 percent believe Montreal will not cover the spread.

This game is likely to turn into a high-scoring affair, but Montreal should find a way to win. They are overdue for a strong response and could do so by taking an early lead and maintaining momentum offensively. For Washington, leading scorer Tom Wilson will be key. He is averaging a point per game over 20 contests this season and has accumulated nine points over his last eight games against Montreal, including five goals and four assists.

Wilson will also be motivated after last season’s postseason brawl with Montreal’s Josh Anderson. Anderson is expected to respond offensively, having scored twice and assisted once for three points over his last four games entering Thursday.

Montreal captain Nick Suzuki is another key player to watch. In 20 career games versus Washington, he has tallied 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points. Suzuki is due for a big night, having earned just one point over his last four games.

Islanders' Matthew Schaefer, Avalanche's Cale Makar Already Near-Locks in NHL Award RacesAn 18-year-old phenom and a Norris contender are dominating early NHL award races, setting impressive records and dazzling fans.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

With the recent signing of Shane Pinto, the Ottawa Senators have done a fine job of locking up the bulk of their core for the next few years, the ones they believe are part of their eventual Stanley Cup formula. Here's a list of some of their top players who are signed for the next three years, along with the year their contract expires.

Tim Stutzle: 2031
Brady Tkachuk: 2028
Jake Sanderson: 2032
Thamas Chabot: 2028
Dylan Cozens: 2030
Shane Pinto: 2030
Fabian Zetterlund: 2028
Ridly Greig: 2029
Linus Ullmark: 2029

So, it would seem like this group's window of opportunity is here, and according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, GM Steve Staios appears ready to do something big to crank it wide open.

While referring to the NHL trade market in his latest 32 Thoughts column, Friedman wrote, "The Senators are lurking, looking to hit a home run."

Given his druthers, Staios would probably prefer that his trade discussions weren't described as lurking, but it is interesting to hear that, according to Friedman, Staios is in the batter's box and looking to go yard.

If nothing else, it shouldn't be a surprise that Stais is out there laying the groundwork for a big swing between now and the deadline, as he's done in the past.

But identifying the proper time to push your chips all-in can be a risky business. For example, Pierre Dorion's timing was badly off with his go-for-broke deals, such as they were.

The season after the Sens' run to the Eastern Final in 2017, Dorion acquired Matt Duchene from Colorado in a costly blockbuster trade involving Nashville. The Senators completely fell apart after that, finishing second-last in the league, sparking a long rebuild. Meanwhile, the Avalanche went from last place the previous season to making the playoffs, sparking a run of excellence they're still on.

In that deal, the Sens had to surrender the 4th overall pick in 2019, which they could have used to take a player like Mo Seider, Matt Boldy, or Cole Caufield, who went 6, 12, and 15, respectively. Any one of whom could now be helping the Senators' cause mightily.

Dorion also went out and got players like Alex DeBrincat and Jakob Chychrun. Neither of them moved the needle, neither of them stayed long, and even after they were flipped, their acquisition damaged the overall quality of Ottawa's assets.

So is now the right time for Staios to make a home run trade? In general terms, the answer is yes, but it obviously needs to make sense.

Last spring, the Sens finally shook off a seven-year playoff drought, and with the group now a little older and wiser, with new lessons learned from their playoff christening, they do appear to be on the doorstep, where supporting the troops with another big-time player or two finally makes sense.

But if Staios chooses that path, whether it's the tough-as-nails defenseman or a proven NHL scorer, his trade partner will likely be a lower-end team that's out of the playoff mix. And at the quarter turn, which team is that, exactly? The season is starting to get away from Calgary, Nashville, and St. Louis, but after that, every other NHL team is within 4 points of a playoff spot. So there aren't many sellers or surrenders yet.

But that will change in the new year, as it always does, and like many people after Christmas, Staios doesn't have as much to spend as he'd like. But he can still do some things.

At first glance, pulling someone off the existing roster would seem counterproductive, but in the name of improving through rebalancing, Staios certainly hasn't been shy to do it. In the past year and a half, he's shipped out Josh Norris to get Dylan Cozens and Jakob Chychrun to get Nick Jensen. Is there another deal like those to be made? 

On the other hand, Staios could choose to deal away picks or prospects. But they don't have a first-round pick next summer. Would they deal their top pick in 2027 or 2028? Would they ship out former first-rounders like Carter Yakemchuk or Logan Hensler?

They certainly could, but that comes with its own long-term pitfalls, which is true of any team that gambles away some of its future to take a shot now. But the Sens have already parted with a lot of their future to make some of their ill-advised (and poorly communicated) trades of the past.

If they peddle away much more in the name of taking their shot, things could get ugly when this current Cup-or-bust window closes, and the Senators might find themselves in a rebuild that's even uglier than the one they just emerged from.

The good news for Sens fans is that, when it comes to trades, Staios' batting average has been pretty good so far. As he lurks near the plate, it will be fascinating to see if he gets another pitch he likes this season.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

Read more Ottawa Senators articles at The Hockey News Ottawa:

Former Senators Defenseman Returns To Ottawa In Monday Trade With Philadelphia
Arthur Kaliyev Heating Up, Now Third In AHL Goal Scoring
Forsberg Returns To Ottawa As A King, Pitches A Shutout 
Senators Have Big UFA Contract Decisions In Next Few Years (Who Stays And Who Goes?)
Four More Years: Shane Pinto Signs Four-Year Extension
Creator Of 'New Heights' Gives Brady And Matthew Tkachuk Their Own Podcast

Will Borgen is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

This is the same injury that forced him to miss two games against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings. 

Borgen returned to the lineup on Tuesday night during the Rangers’ game against the Vegas Golden Knights, but he did not practice on Thursday. 

Mike Sullivan said on Thursday that Borgen's injury status is a situation the team will have to manage accordingly going forward.

Wolf Pack Head Coach Speaks Highly About Gabe Perreault's GameGabe Perreault still has some aspects of his game he needs to refine before being fully ready to take on the trials and tribulations of the NHL. 

The 28-year-old defenseman did not practice on Thursday, an indication that he will miss tonight’s matchup against the Colorado Avalanche. 

In his place, Scott Morrow is expected to slot into the lineup, as he practiced on the second power-play unit.